Modular storage and display structures, such as used in retail stores to present products on the selling floor, typically are constructed from a plurality of slotted metal upright members that are interconnected to provide a display backboard or skeleton of the desired configuration. FIG. 1 presents one such illustrative display unit 10, wherein pairs of slotted uprights 12 and joined by perforated back panels 14 and channel members 16 in known manners to create a series of wall units that are in turn connected together to form the desired display assembly. Components to be mounted to the wall units, such as trays 18, are supported by, and connected to, the uprights 12 by hook brackets 20 that engage with the slots of the uprights. The hook brackets 20 are typically formed as integral parts of the component to be mounted, and adds cost and complexity to the component. Including integral hook brackets also limits the versatility of the component, as the hooks must be spaced from each other the precise distance between the uprights to which the component is to be mounted.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a mounting bracket for use in mounting components to such slotted members, such as uprights, which avoids the need for the component to be constructed with integral hook brackets. A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a mounting bracket that can serve as a universal mounting interface between a component to be mounted to slotted upright members and the slotted members.
Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a mounting bracket for mounting components to slotted members that is economical to produce, simple to install, and efficient in use.